A two-year process to rebrand Federation Training, which was the culmination of the two Gippsland TAFEs some time ago, came to fruition last week with the launch of TAFE Gippsland.

A large crowd attended a celebration of the launch in Bairnsdale on Tuesday at TAFE Gippsland’ s Oaktree Restaurant.

TAFE Gippsland chief executive officer, Grant Radford, said the rebranding was the start of an exciting new chapter for the organisation and the community.

“The future is very bright for TAFE Gippsland,” he said.

“It is a significant step for us, and we believe the community. It represents what we do, where we do it and most importantly who we are here to serve. We have a very proud history of helping deliver education skills that meet Gippsland’ s needs.

“Our new brand and name, TAFE Gippsland, is a reflection on the critical role that we play in building a strong future for the people of Gippsland together with our partners.

“We will continue to listen and work with our community, government and educational partners so we can grow and evolve and deliver what our community deserves both now and in the future.”

Mr Radford acknowledged the TAFE Gippsland board, which he said had been a “driving force behind the rebrand”.

“They have been very passionate about it and very supportive of us as an organisation as we’ ve gone through this,” he said.

“They’ve been involved through the whole process but they have also let it evolve as it should.”

Mr Radford said the rebranding has been a result of extensive consultation with the community, businesses, government, schools and specific organisations.

“We consulted really broadly around the rebrand and what was really pleasing was that the message was consistent with every group that we spoke to about the rebrand,” he said.

“What came through really strongly was that TAFE brand resonated and we really wanted to have that name in, and then obviously Gippsland.

“But it goes much deeper than a name, logo and signage. A brand themes around transformation, transformation not only in our organisation but the opportunities for individuals and businesses to transform themselves for the broader region of Gippsland as a whole, a region that has been going through a period of significant change over the past several years.

“TAFE Gippsland is a reflection of our focus, drive and purpose as Gippsland’s local and trusted TAFE helping our students and communities get to where they need to be. We do this by providing modern, accessible and relevant education that meets students’, community and employers’ needs.

“The new brand also coincides with the significant program of change and improvement we are driving that is better positioning us to meet the needs of the community.

“Included in this is significant capital developments at our Port of Sale site, at Morwell and also at Warragul transforming how we deliver to Gippsland.

“We’ve also seen significant growth across all our Gippsland campuses driven by the Victorian Government’s free TAFE initiative.”

Mr Radford said TAFE Gippsland was in the process of seeking additional space to meet this growing demand.

“Our focus is ensuring that our education and training offering as well as our upgraded facilities deliver on our current and future needs of students and the community. This is why we are currently seeking the views of the community to help shape the future of TAFE Gippsland,” he said.

“We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with our Gippsland staff and students, our industry, business partners and of course the broader community.

“TAFE Gippsland is ready and focused on delivering education and training that this community needs and deserves. We are proud to be your local and trusted TAFE.”